Whiffletree.



L. E. PI-ZIIISTEIN.

WHIFFLETREE.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 27, 1900.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

euro

LOUIS E. FEINSTEIN, 0F ZEELAND, NORTH DAKOTA.

WHIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed July 27, 1909. Serial No. 509,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis E. Fmxsrum, a citizen of the United States,residing at Zeeland. in the county of McIntosh and State of NorthDakota, have invented a new and useful lVhil'fletree, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The objects of the invention are, generally, the provision in amerchantable form, of a device of the class above mentioned, which shallbe inexpensive to manufacture, facile in operation, and devoid ofcomplicated parts; specifically, the provision of a double-tree of noveland improved construction; of swingle-trees adapted to be assembled withthe double-tree; of latch bars adapted to engage the traces wherewiththe swingle-trees are assembled and of manually operable means of noveland improved construction, whereby the latch bars may be operated from avehicle, to free the traces from the swingletree; other and further objects being made manifest hereinafter as the description of the inventionprogresses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described, delineated in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument whereinpatentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiarfeatures of the device, it being understood, that, within the scope ofwhat hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made,without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

Similar characters of reference are employed to denote correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawlngs.

be used with two horses, but, I do not wish to be limited to thetwo-horse construction, saving as I may be so limited by my claims.

In carrying out my invention, I provide, primarily, a double-tree 1,with the extremities of which, are pivotally assembled swingle-trees 2.Referring particularly to the construction of the double-tree 1, it willbe seen that the same comprises a base strip 3 and rearwardly extending,converging braces 1, between the rear ends of which is pivoted anupright lever 5. Rising from the intermediate portion of the base strip3 is a support 6, in the present instance shown in the form of an openloop of metal, upon which is superposed a top strip 7, substantiallycoextensive in length with the base strip 3, the top strip 7, thesupport 6, and the base strip 3 being united to form a rigid structure,the three elements last above mentioned being apertured as denoted bythe numeral 8, to receive the member upon which the double-tree ispivotally mounted.

Disposed between the base strip 3 and the top strip 7 of the double-tree1, are the swingle-trees 2, each of which comprises a base strip 9,having its ends up-turned as denoted by the numeral 10, and inwardlyextended toward each other. Mounted upon the ends 10 of the base strip9, is a top-strip 11, which is somewhat longer than the base strip 9,the ends 12 of the top strip being down-bent beyond the ends 10 of thebase strip, and spaced therefrom. The base-strip 9 is assembled with thetop strip 11. by means of braces 14, these braces 14: and the elements12 and 10 being apertured to receive slidably, latch bars 18, havingtheir adjacent ends overlapped and rearwardly bent, to form spacedfingers 19. A clip 15 is provided, which, broadly speaking, is U-shapedin form, the ends of the clip being arranged to inclose the base strip 9and the top strip 11 intermediate their ends, the upper arm of the clipbeing bent to form a shoulder 16 adapted to contact with the rear edgeof the top strip 11., whereby the clip 15 may be made to extendrearwardly of the swingletree, in normal relation thereto. A pivot bolt17 is passed downwardly through the top strips 7 and 11, through thearms of the clip 15 and through the base strips 3 and 9, the said pivotbolt, serving at once as a means whereby the swingle-tree 2 may beassembled with the double-tree 1, and as a means whereby the clip 15 maybe assembled with the swingle-tree 2.

A pivot bolt 21 is passed through the arms of the clip 15, and upon thisbolt 21 is mounted, intermediate its ends, a cam block 20. This camblock 20 is provided in its edge, with a circumscribing groove 33 intowhich the fingers 19 are adapted to fit, the fingers being normally heldin contact with the cam block by means of a retractile element 22, whichunites the extremities of the fingers 19, intermediate the rear end ofthe cam block 20 and the clip 15. Mounted transversely upon the braces tof the double-tree 1, is a cross-piece 23, provided with bearings 24;,in which are slidably mounted, oppositely extending rods. The adjacentends of the rods terminate in eyes 25 connected by a flexible element30, the intermediate portions 27 of the rods being upbent, to bring theremote ends of the rods into the plane of the upper faces of the camblocks 20, the remote extremities 26 of the rods being down-turned toregister in apertures in the upper faces of the cam blocks, locatedadjacent the forward ends of said cam blocks, the upper faces of the camblocks being cut-away adjacent their forward ends as denoted by thenumeral 34, in order that space may be provided between the clips 15anal the cam blocks, for the movement of the re s.

The lever 5 is adapted to engage the flexible element 30 intermediateits ends, being securely united therewith in any suitable manner. l/Viththe upper extremity of the lever 5 may be connected a pullcord 32,whereby the lever may be operated from a remote point, such, forexample, as the seat of the vehicle. The adjacent ends of theswingle-trees 2 are limited in their movement upon the double-tree bymeans of stops 35, which may be of any form, these stops 35, permittingthe swingle-tree 2 to have the slight pivotal movement necessary, but,at the same time, being adapted to limit the adj acent ends of theswingle-trees 2 from moving rearwardly into contact with the flexibleelement 80, or with the slidably mounted rods which are assembledtherewith.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the latch bars 18 may beprovided, adjacent their remote ends, with rearwardly extending lugs S,adapted to serve as a means whereby the latch bars may be slid manually.

The operation of the device will probably be understood from theforegoing description, but it may be said, at this place, that when thepull-cord 32 is drawn upon, the lever 5, moving rearwardly at its free,upper end, will engage the flexible member 30 intermediate its ends,causing the adjacent ends of the rods which are mounted in the bearings24, to move toward each other.

This movement of the rods will tilt the cam blocks 20, horizontally,causing the fingers 19 to be spaced apart, withdrawing the remote endsof the latch bars 18 from the elements 10 and 12, thereby freeingthe'traces. When the pull-cord 32 is released, the retractile element 22will cause the fingers 19 to move toward each other, causing the remoteextremities of the latch bars 18 to move outwardly, the cam blocks 20,being engaged by the fingers 19, and being moved 1nto a position withtheir longer dimensions parallel with the fingers 19, the upperextremity of the lever 5 moving forwardly in the operation.

The hereinbefore described construction, although simple, and of fewparts, results in a structure easily operable to set free, by a singlemovement, one or more draft animals, from the vehicle to which they areattached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is V 1. The combination with a swingle-tree,of longitudinally disposed latch bars slidably mounted thereon andhaving their adjacent ends overlapped and provided with spaced fingers;a cam block pivotally supported between the fingers and arranged toengage the same frictionally; means for operating the cam block; andresilient means uniting the fingers to hold the same in contact with thecam block.

2. The combination with a swingle-tree, of longitudinally disposed latchbars slidably mounted thereon and having their adjacent ends overlappedand provided with spaced fingers disposed substantially at right anglesto the bars; a cam block pivotally supported between the fingers andarranged to engage the fingers to space the same apart transversely;means for operating the cam block; and resilient means for holding thefingers in contact with the cam block.

3. The combination with a swingle-tree, of longitudinally disposed latchbars slidably mounted thereon and having their adjacent ends overlappedand provided with rearwardly extending fingers, spaced apart; a cliprearwardly extending from the intermediate portion of the swingle-tree;a horizontally movable cam block pivoted intermediate its ends, betweenthe arms of the clip and arranged to engage the fingers simultaneously;means for operating the cam block; and means for normally holding thefingers in contact with the cam block.

4:. A swingle-tree including a base strip having its ends upturned; atop piece mounted upon the upturned ends of the base strip and'havingits ends down-turned and spaced from the ends of the base strip; bracesuniting the base strip and the top oted for horizontal movement betweenthe arms of the clip and arranged to engage the fingers to space thesame apart; means for operating the cam block; and means for normallyholding the fingers in contact with the cam block.

5. In a device of the class described, a double-tree; swingle-treespivotally assembled with the double-tree; longitudinally disposed latchbars slidably mounted upon the swingle-trees and having their adjacentends overlapped and bent to form spaced fingers; cam blocks pivotallysupported by the swingle-trees, between the fingers and arranged tospace the fingers apart transversely; transverse rods slidably mountedupon the double-trees and having their remote ends pivotally assembledwith the cam blocks; and means located upon the doubletree forsimultaneously operating the rods.

6. In a device of the class described, a double-tree; swingle-treespivotally assembled with the double-tree; longitudinally disposed latchbars slidably mounted upon the suingle-trees and having their adjacentends overlapped and provided, in their overlapped portions withrearwardly extending, spaced fingers; cam blocks pivotally supportedbetween the lingers for horizontal movement; bars slidably mounted uponthe double-tree and having their remote ends pivotally assembled withthe cam blocks; a flexible element uniting the adjacent ends of therods; means carried by the double-tree for engaging the intermediateportion of the flexible element to slide the rods; and means for holdingthe fingers in contact with op posite faces of the cam blocks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS E. FEINSTEIN.

\Vitnesses V. M. QUINN, JOHN BISCI-IOF.

